All posts for the month October, 2010

Apology accepted?

Last night, council member Jim Ward went out of his way to condemn PAC contributions. “I want to create a climate in Chapel Hill where it’s distasteful for that [PAC contributions] to happen,” Ward said during a discussion of the town’s Voter-Owned Elections law. “What will keep PACs out of here is if all the […]

Thick as a brick

While two town workers have been told to hit the bricks, the Town Council moved quickly Wednesday night to resolve a petition that would use bricks to help raise money for the town library. The bricks got quick action as the council voted to approve a petition enabling the motion to move forward, but the […]

Just the facts, please

At tonight’s Town Council meeting, members of ABetterSite.org will present petitions to council about the site selection process for the IFC’s new shelter. ABetterSite.org members also will address the Planning Board meeting to be held Election Day at 7 p.m. when the shelter subcommittee will present a brief report on shelter standards. Mark Peters, a […]

Buying elections

At tomorrow’s Town Council meeting, the public ostensibly will have a chance to give the council feedback on taxpayer-financed political campaigns, also known as the Voter Owned Elections program. It’s no secret that I think VOE is a poor use of taxpayers’ money. But it looks like it’s here to stay. The proposed amendment before […]

Recreation — who pays?

Just as pulling a wisdom tooth makes room for the remaining teeth to realign, the many vacant seats on the dais at last Monday’s Town Council meeting allowed similar shifting. First up on the agenda that night was a proposed change in the wording of the Land Use Management Ordinance pertaining to the amount of […]

Deadlines

Franklin West LLC threw down the gauntlet. We won’t know until Nov. 22 whether the town will pick it up. At the public hearing this past Monday, a representative of Franklin West, the group of investors who bought The Courtyard after it was foreclosed on, went over the scaled-back plans for a special use permit […]

Information and influence

Communication can be key to an organization’s success – even Hezbollah has a PR department. I learned that from listening to globe-trotting journalist Thanassis Cambanis, who was at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill on Oct. 7 to promote his new book, “The Privilege to Die.” The book takes a close look at Hezbollah, the southern […]

On the team?

After Time Warner Cable conked out during the broadcast of the Town Council meeting last night, some viewers might have been lost to the baseball post-season game on another channel. Pity that town planner J.B. Culpeper didn’t tune in as well. She might have learned something about being a team player. During the public hearing […]

To be or to seem?

We live in a town that spent more on fixing up a skate park than on repairing our history museum to keep it open. Remember that, the next time a council member cites the image of Chapel Hill as a reason for voting one way or another on a matter. I’m harping on the museum […]

Comfort? Conscience?

Perhaps it’s my Midwest, Protestant upbringing that prevents me from enjoying a party unless everyone is invited. Every year, I go on the Parade of Homes, touring only the priciest entries. I love seeing what people with more money than they know what to do with do with it. The economy has had its effect […]